Chapter 185: This Isn’t That Kind of Asylum
That morning, Yunice packed some prepared food and left the clinic early, locking up behind her. Gill didn’t ask where she was going, and she didn’t follow. Yunice drove off in Gill’s car and headed to a psychiatric hospital.
This place was nothing like the private asylums she’d stayed in before. That one catered to the rich; this one was a shelter for refugees with mental illness. It was free, which said all there was to say about the resources they had.
Yunice carefully avoided the messes of feces and urine scattered across the floor as she made her way past patients who reached out at her from where they sat, sprawled on the ground—some clearly unstable, others possibly faking it.
Eventually, she arrived at a small room. This room was much cleaner and more comfortable than the crowded dormitories outside. It was bright and tidy, with sunlight filtering in. Yunice had slipped the staff some money to make sure it stayed this way.
“Grandma…” she called softly, her tone warm.
The elderly woman sitting by the window turned her head in surprise, reaching out eagerly. “Lauren, it’s been so long! Come here, let me feel your face…”
Her name was Melina. Her skin was in decent condition, but her hair had gone completely white, giving her the appearance of someone well into old age. Her features still held a trace of the grace and softness she must’ve had in her youth—but those pale, clouded, misshapen eyes made her look uncanny.
Yunice stepped closer and leaned in so Melina could touch her face. Melina’s unseeing eyes stared straight ahead as her coarse fingers gently traced Yunice’s features.
Then her voice deepened with concern. “You’ve lost weight… Your uncle and aunt aren’t feeding you again, are they?”
“No,” Yunice said with a smile, standing upright and opening the food container. Her voice was calm. “I’m all grown up now. I’ve got a job. My uncle and aunt can’t control me anymore.”
Melina let out a sigh of relief as she accepted the bowl Yunice handed her. “Lauren, you have to make something of yourself. One day, you’ve got to get even—really get even.”
Yunice looked at her, weighed down by her thoughts, and slowly sat down. “Grandma, I’m about to get promoted at work. They’re sending me abroad. The pay will be better, but… if I go overseas, I won’t have time to visit you anymore.”
Melina raised her brows in delight. “A promotion? That’s wonderful! You deserve to soar to new heights!”
Melina shook her head without hesitation. “No, no. I’m staying right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Yunice had asked her this many times before. Every time, the answer had been the same. Even if she tricked her into moving somewhere nicer, Melina would find a way back here, back to this place.
Melina was still smiling, still thrilled about Lauren’s promotion, happily eating the food Yunice had brought. But those sightless eyes… they were deeply unsettling.
“Yunice.” The door burst open without warning. Owen and Paul appeared in the doorway, eyes locked on Yunice.
She froze, instinctively standing as her brows drew tightly together. How did they find this place? Did they spot my car? Just a coincidence?
Yunice gripped the edge of the table; her fingers tensed with uncertainty. She couldn’t tell what they were here for.
Before anyone could speak, Melina broke the silence. She set her bowl down and greeted them warmly. “Is that you, Owen and Paul?”
Owen responded with a heavy hum, but his eyes never left Yunice.
Melina said, “Did I just hear you say Yunice’s name? Lauren talks about her all the time. She says Yunice is her best friend, always looking out for her. Did she come today too?”
Her face glowed with hope; she clearly wanted to thank Yunice in person.
But Owen was still staring at Yunice. He finally said, “Grandma, Yunice didn’t come. We’re here for your granddaughter, Lauren. We heard she’s getting promoted and heading abroad. We came to celebrate.”
Yunice’s grip on the table suddenly loosened. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, down to her bones. They knew everything. Owen and Paul knew it all.
Melina couldn’t see. She really thought these men were Lauren’s friends.
But Owen’s gaze was suffocating. He was daring Yunice. Are you really going to keep hiding here?
Yunice drew a slow breath, then spoke in her dialect. “Grandma, I’m going to meet with my friends. I’ll come see you next time.”
She clenched her fists and hurried out of the hospital.
It wasn’t until she ducked into a deserted alley that she finally turned and exploded. “You two cling to me like maggots on a bone. When are you going to stop?”
Owen wasn’t impressed with her outburst. “I looked into your time at the asylum. I know everything about you and Lauren. If you want to keep screaming, go ahead.”
Owen took her back to the Saunders mansion. On the way, Yunice glanced at Paul in the passenger seat. Her expression said it all. Why did you bring him?